Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments

9 Months Ended

Aug. 31, 2011

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments [Abstract]

Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments

Note 4. Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments

We generally invest our excess cash in money market funds and other short-term investments. Cash equivalents include highly liquid investments not held for resale with original maturities of three months or less. The following are financial instruments that are cash and cash equivalents that are deemed by us to be generally readily convertible into cash as of August 31, 2011 and November 30, 2010 (in thousands):

	August 31,		November 30,
	2011		2010
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash in banks	$	807,414	$	325,227
Money market investments		1,207,536		1,863,771
Total cash and cash equivalents	$	2,014,950	$	2,188,998
Cash and securities segregated (1)	$	5,321,012	$	1,636,755

(1) Consists of deposits at exchanges and clearing organizations, as well as deposits in accordance with Rule 15c3-3 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, which subjects Jefferies as a broker dealer carrying client accounts, to requirements related to maintaining cash or qualified securities in a segregated reserve account for the exclusive benefit of its clients; and Jefferies Bache, LLC which, as a futures commission merchant, is subject to the segregation requirements pursuant to the Commodity Exchange Act.